The following procedures for students apply to the redress of grievances concerning academic and instructional matters, and other issues for which there are no existing grievance procedures.

1. Every effort shall be made by the student and faculty member(s) involved to settle their differences amicably and informally to redress the grievance. The Department Chair shall participate in this informal effort to resolve the issue. If appropriate, the aid of a disinterested mediator should be sought to aid resolution.
2. If the Department Chair determines that an informal resolution is not possible, he/she will notify the student to this effect. The student may petition the Department Chair by filing an official notice of an intention to grieve within 30 days of notification by the Department Chair that informal resolution is not possible. Within 60 days of filing the intent to grieve notice, the grievant must submit a formal written grievance to the Department Chair.
   The formal grievance should provide details regarding the complaint and redress. The student must state (1) when he/she discovered the issue being grieved, (2) what issue is being grieved and provide evidence to support the grievance, (3) what the desired resolution is. After receipt of the formal grievance, the Department Chair must respond in writing with his/her decision within 10 working days.
3. In the event that either the student or the faculty member involved is not satisfied with the decision of the Department Chair, the student or faculty member may petition the Dean or his/her designee by filing a formal written complaint to the Dean. The Dean or his/her designee may make the decision regarding the complaint, or may appoint a hearing committee to judge the merits of the complaint.
   The hearing committee would be composed of two tenured faculty members and one student, none of which could be in the department involved in the complaint. The college-level hearing should be held within 10 working days after receiving the complaint. Both the student and faculty member may call witnesses; however, such witnesses would not attend the full hearing, but would enter when called upon by the hearing committee. No written record of the meeting would be required, and electronic recording of the hearing would not be permitted. The committee would report its findings and its recommendation to the Dean or his/her designee within 5 working days of the hearing.
   If the Dean's designee is the decision authority, he/she would make his/her decision regarding the complaint within 10 days of receiving it or, in the event of using a hearing committee, within 5 days of receiving the recommendations of the hearing committee. The decision of the Dean's designee would be sent to the parties involved in writing.
   In the event that either the student or the faculty member involved is not satisfied with the decision of the Dean's designee, the student or faculty member may make a final petition to the Dean. The Dean would make his/her decision regarding the complaint within 10 working days of receiving it.
4. a) An undergraduate student or the faculty member may file a written appeal of the decision made by the Dean to the Provost, or his/her designee.
   b) A graduate student or the faculty member may file a written appeal of the decision made by the Dean of Engineering to the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies. The decision of the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies may be appealed in writing to the Provost, or his/her designee. (Details may be found in the UH Graduate Catalog).

The Provost's decision would be final in all cases.

Approved:
Dean, Cullen College of Engineering

Adopted: 04/26/1999
Revised: 09/24/2001
Revised: 12/07/2004